Touches Reporting.
Dear Forumites,
Before I begin, I took a look at a number of posts and yes while you may have questions and concerns lets not look at the scoreline or try and not to read too much into this game. Of note we are playing the Peruvian side next week (18th) and it was announced in the game that we will be playing El Salvador on the 25th.
This is good we are getting progressively better teams as time goes by with enough rest in between. Remember Leo has had about 10 days with the team, one 3 day camp and he cut some players.
Scoreline not withstanding TT is an improved unit in all deptments.
They had a crowd about 1,500-2,000 people and I am being generous. Of this crowd at least 1000 were from Grande and were backing their team all the way. Also, the game was FREE.....yes FREE I walk in easy gate was open for all and sundry. I dont mean to sound bad but North East Stars is not as good as Jabloteh or W Connection and they didn't look like champions tonight.
In comparison to the T&T team the players all looked scrawney, average and were not very technical. However they were playing for pride and had a little extra hustle in they step. I observed the game with Patriot, Andre Samuel and Cowen and we were in concensus generally with the action as it unfolded on the field.
T&T started with a 4-5--1 formation;
Duarance Williams as Keeper, King, Thomas, Atiba Charles and Nigel Daniel in the back, the midfield were Celestine, Theobold, Whitley, Eve and Dwarika our lone forward up front Gary Glasgow minus the dread...like he thought Bertille was still the coach.
North East Stars didn't play anything special....long ball here and there flashes of skill and men running up and down the flanks effectively. What they did do was catch the T&T team napping on occasions. The first was when Derek King ushered a ball out of play, a quickly taken throw found Jagdeosingh a North East Stars player who was ommitted after being called up by coach Leo Beenhakker. He then skipped past Thomas and shot low from the top of the box. GOAL.
Now something to note........Jagdeosingh is not a Indian, in a earlier post people were saying he is Indian. This is T&T last name doe match appearance.
The second North East Stars goal was the best freekick I have seen on local soil in some time. A player spank a curlers in the "V" from 20 yards out. Nothing keeper Williams could have done to prevent it from going in.
Other than that there were times when the 'ref' was issuing a card or calling a foul, the NE Stars players would take the kick quickly catching the T&T defence by surprise and twice they spanked Williams with a bullet.
Other than that NE didn't have any clear cut chance nor did they dominate the game. They also used all of their subs and the intensitiy and quality of there play did not diminish.
T&T on the other hand is an improved side. What is clearly apparent is a case of GOOD TACTICS, good plan............poor execusion.
I do not think any of the current players tonight will make it for the Panama game. Except Densill Theobold, Atiba Charles, Keyeno Thomas, Aurtis Whitley and Arnold Dwarika were the ones who stood out and Angus Eve to a lesser extent.
Fellas Dwarika is back and his touches are on. He's also looking motivated and he is tackling and fierce too. Theobold had an excellent game and linked up well with Whitley.
The T&T team after conceding the first goal switched to a 3-5-2 with Dwarika moving up to the forward position, Eve playing on the wing.
Later in the second half it morphed into a 4-4-2.
Celestine attempted to shoot at goal on occasion but the ball was in the stands...Glasgow has regained some of his touches, trapping the ball very cleanly and laying off but like he doesn't know what to do in front of goal and purge down himself. Dwarika threw away a sitter in the six yard box, shooting straight at the keeper with no pressure, when he could have placed it. Dwarika also scored but the referee deemed the goal offside. It was a good goal the lines-man chupid....how could a man square a ball back from the line and have it deemed offside.
Anyway, the T&T team play ZERO long balls.......it was all about quick touches, of one or two touches each, movement off the ball, off the ball runs...perfect triangles being maintained at all times and players running into space. Every time T&T were in possession they looked very dangerous coming forward and created at least 6 or seven opportunities only to be wasted by Celestine or Glasgow.
I find for the short space of time we were looking much much better and I not worried we will get it right in time for Panama. What is apparent is the speed at which T&T is playing, it is much faster and we are not predictable any more.
Also the short passes and springing of forwards will be more conducive to a speedy forward i.e a Cornell Glen or a Jason Scotland.......I do not see how Stern John fitting in with the system being played, either he have to change from trap and screen and revert to take on men and bore through or he will be left on the bench.
There is no more run up the wing and hit and hope....it is a calculated run with the midfielders making a dummy run creating space and a following midfielder shooting from the top of the box. Also, it seems the Theobold/Whitley combo is good, put Edwards or Birchall on the right wing with Fitzpatrick on the left and Spann in the middle as defensive and we good to go.
Derek King....me aint know how the man was on the field instead of Anton Pierre, but he was the pull stones of the back four and was subbed at 1/2 time.
Nigel Daniel didn't have a good game but he did whip in some good crosses and corners.
Angus Eve played decent but got burnt in the second half.
All the subs that came on were not special, I dont see them being a factor in any of the games.
So fellas, it was an entertaining game but you had to be there to see the action.
Dont panic, dont make comparisons, dont start no ole talk.
It was a exercise to see who could cut it and follow instructions and right now Theobold, Whitley, Dwarika, Eve, Thomas, and Charles are the only ones to get a passing grade.
Foreign based will make up 90% of this team and yes they better than the locals.